Abstract:
‘Colombo Port City Development Project’ aims at reclaiming a minimum
of 269 hectares of waterfront sheltered by Colombo South Harbour Breakwater for
mixed development activities. It has been estimated that a total requirement of
26.6 million m3 of dredged sand and 3.45 million m3 of quarry materials for the
reclamation and construction of coastal structures. The main objective of the present
study is to assess and characterize the capability of identified quarry sites to provide
different categories of rock for the project. The quarry site assessment of eleven
quarries were carried out by incorporating factors such as rock quality parameters,
mineable rock volume, type of rock, jointing or racturing in the rock mass, licence
category, mining, hydrogeological and socio economic aspects. The data were
gathered using numerous sources. Having combined geographic information
systems (GIS) and Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE), the present study sought to
locate the most suitable areas for rock quarrying to supply rock materials to Port
City Project. The findings of the research indicate that four quarry sites are most
capable of supplying all categories of rock and rest are more suitable for supplying
rock products below 500 kg. Further findings of the research include suitable
transportation routes and capacities for rock materials, potential adverse impacts on
supplying materials and corresponding mitigatory measures to be adopted.
